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hillarycopsey's reviews
756 reviews
Charlie Hustle: The Rise and Fall of Pete Rose, and the Last Glory Days of Baseball by Keith O'Brien
4.0
My one complaint about this book is that I would have liked more in the last section -- about the fallout from Rose's downfall, about the debates around his ban and the steroid use, etc. -- and slightly less play-by-play of the games.
That being said, this was incredibly compelling. And as someone who came to baseball and Cincinnati after Pete, it gave me so much context and background.
I listened to the audiobook and liked that the narrator was a woman.
That being said, this was incredibly compelling. And as someone who came to baseball and Cincinnati after Pete, it gave me so much context and background.
I listened to the audiobook and liked that the narrator was a woman.
Whale Fall by Elizabeth O'Connor
4.0
A spare, atmospheric coming-of-age story set on the edge of Europe at the edge of WWII. A sharp critique of the way urban, upper-class people romanticize and exploit rural areas.
I'm glad I spent time with this.
Thanks to Netgalley fro the advance copy.
I'm glad I spent time with this.
Thanks to Netgalley fro the advance copy.
Lies and Weddings by Kevin Kwan
2.0
The characters and dialogue were wooden and clunky. The plot was beyond predictable. This should have been a romp, but felt like a slog.
Thanks to Netgalley for the advance copy.
Thanks to Netgalley for the advance copy.
American Flannel: How a Band of Entrepreneurs Are Bringing the Art and Business of Making Clothes Back Home by Steven Kurutz
4.0
Narrator isn't great, but reporting is compelling.
This made me understand the concerns and complaints of my factory-worker family members.
This made me understand the concerns and complaints of my factory-worker family members.
Help Wanted: A Novel by Adelle Waldman
4.0
A novelized version of Superstore, a 21st century version of The Jungle. Either way, this book is worth your time.
The Demon of Unrest: A Saga of Hubris, Heartbreak, and Heroism at the Dawn of the Civil War by Erik Larson
3.0
This is pretty much exactly what I expect from an Erik Larson book. Compelling history. Strong research. Zeroed in on a very specific time. Written with a wry sense of humor.
I wished he'd spent more time fleshing out Seward's wife and the family's connection to Harriet Tubman and the Underground Railroad (further reading: The Agitators by Dorothy Wickenden); it would have provided more foundation and fodder for the differences between Seward and Lincoln and the blindspots of Seward.
I also wished he'd chosen different words to describe the "sexual dalliances" of James Hammond, the man who coined "cotton is king." The man molested his nieces and raped women he enslaved. Why Larson chooses to call these enslaved women "mistresses" in the same book in which he castigates a school of historians that act as if slavery were not a driving force in the Civil War is beyond me.
I wished he'd spent more time fleshing out Seward's wife and the family's connection to Harriet Tubman and the Underground Railroad (further reading: The Agitators by Dorothy Wickenden); it would have provided more foundation and fodder for the differences between Seward and Lincoln and the blindspots of Seward.
I also wished he'd chosen different words to describe the "sexual dalliances" of James Hammond, the man who coined "cotton is king." The man molested his nieces and raped women he enslaved. Why Larson chooses to call these enslaved women "mistresses" in the same book in which he castigates a school of historians that act as if slavery were not a driving force in the Civil War is beyond me.
Business Casual by B.K. Borison
4.0
Pretty much conflict-free, but somehow it doesn't matter? Nova and Charlie are characters I liked, spending time in Inglewild again was nice, the steamy parts were steamy, the funny parts were funny. I think this is my favorite in the series.
The Ministry of Time by Kaliane Bradley
5.0
Such a fun, compassionate, singular book!
Part world-weary spy novel, part fish-out-of-water comedy, part romance, part social justice novel, a lot of speculative sci-fi, and time travel that mostly doesn't irritate me -- a feat in and of itself. Bradley's characters felt real from the beginning. I was invested in their relationships -- all of them, friendships, work relationships, romantic ones and adversarial ones -- always wondering how she'd pull it all together.
Looking forward to putting this in readers' hands.
Thanks to Netgalley for the advance copy.
Part world-weary spy novel, part fish-out-of-water comedy, part romance, part social justice novel, a lot of speculative sci-fi, and time travel that mostly doesn't irritate me -- a feat in and of itself. Bradley's characters felt real from the beginning. I was invested in their relationships -- all of them, friendships, work relationships, romantic ones and adversarial ones -- always wondering how she'd pull it all together.
Looking forward to putting this in readers' hands.
Thanks to Netgalley for the advance copy.